Yep, its me. The one who can make complicated, archaic recipes without missing a beat. Who can cut up her own meat, and take shoe leather and cook it tender. Raw hash browns in a cast iron skillet over a campfire - no problem. But no matter what I try, I can't get past 'hockey puck biscuits'. Tonight I though I had it licked....I had a recipe for 'mile high biscuits' (sounds like they should rise, right?) and had just reviewed the County Fair Cookbook which analyzed common biscuit failures (including failure to rise) and had avoided what I thought was the issue - over kneading. I kneaded less than half the recommended amount, just enough to get them patted out. I cut straight down with the biscuit cutter. I preheated the oven and greased the pans as directed. But although the middles rose a little (about 1/8th inch higher than the edges) they were still hockey pucks. Tasted OK, just flatter than a flitter. Now I understand that for soft biscuits you put them close toghether, and for crispy ones you space them apart, so I put them close. Is there such a thing as too close? I'll be doggoned if I will give up until I solve the mystery of 'Hockey Puck Biscuits". Anybody out there have the same problem and lick it? Im open to suggestions (no problems getting folks to eat the flat biscuits - like I said they taste OK....and the dogs will eat anything...)

I shape mine by hand as well. Maybe give that a try instead of using a biscuit cutter. Not sure if that will make the difference or not. I have tried to make pucks for taking in the field before and failed. I can't get them to not rise.

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Fenix... thats unleavened bread.. just leave the soda/powder out of it.. trust me.. they will be FLAT... I used to make our unleavened bread for Church for Communion.... its very brittle and dry tho...

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Self rising flour isn't as available here (up north) but I can try the home recipe for it. Tomorrow I'll try that plus hand forming the biscuits - drop them in my hand and shape them from there. Isn't it funny how when you want hockey pucks you cant make them? Maybe turning out hockey pucks has its advantages...kinda like biscuit hardtack. I could always try canning them....for long term storage.....LOL. Bisquick is OUT...tastes like chemicals and does bad things to our digestive systems....

Have you tried the standard Betty Crocker drop biscuit recipe? It works like a charm for me. Biscuits, in my experience, are a quick bread, so no yeast, no rising; only what baking soda or powder give. The only key is that you have to set your timer for the least amount of time possible while cooking and pull them when they just start to turn brown at the tips. Any more cooking will result in hockey pucking. Perhaps that's the issue? I dunno - but try under cooking them.

Alternately, you could try the "drop on top of the chicken for chicken & biscuits" and steam method. These always come out good, but are sometimes doughy.

I don't knead/roll out/use a biscuit cutter. I add a bit extra liquid, mix, plop the thick batter out on to baking pan in large mounds. Sometimes if I'm good on butter I'll take a stick out of the freezer cut a pat which I poke in the center of each mound. Bake. Not pretty like KFC but is good. Real good per a neighbor who has a Southern accent.New baking powder & practice practice practice.

maybe i'll try the soda biscuit recipe from my mom...she never used baking powder when she could get away from it, as it tasted bitter to her. I prefer soda due to its longer storage properties, but I don't see so many recipes for the soda version (with sour milk, of course...) Still working on my hockey pucks using the 'mile high' recipe though, I only want to change one variable at a time so I can pin down the problem. Im in a hotel now, going to a wedding tomorrow, so the next test (new baking powder) will have to wait until I get back home. I already checked off using cold fat and milk and freezing the dough before cutting & baking it. I got a little better riser, but only a very little improvement. I also did not knead them, just plopped the dough on a board, cut and put the (rather sticky) biscuits on the pan. The freezing for 15 min while the oven heated up completely, did help with handling them w/o kneading. So on Monday, we'll be back to the hockey puck battle with new baking powder! Kinda give a whole new meaning to 'keeping your powder dry"...

pelenaka wrote:I don't knead/roll out/use a biscuit cutter. I add a bit extra liquid, mix, plop the thick batter out on to baking pan in large mounds. Sometimes if I'm good on butter I'll take a stick out of the freezer cut a pat which I poke in the center of each mound. Bake. Not pretty like KFC but is good. Real good per a neighbor who has a Southern accent.New baking powder & practice practice practice.

Now I want sausage & gravy AND ...

I never heard of biscuits being so complicated or fussy. When in camp we used to just mix the biscuits right in the top of the flour right in the sack with nothing more than our fingers. When we got a ball of dough we flattened it in our hands, folded it over three or four times flattening it each time and then chucked it into the pan. We very occasionally got a bad one, we called it a ricochet biscuit. They weren't pretty but they tasted great.

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